Pumpkin Spice Latte . 24 cents each

Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove, combined with pumpkin, make the perfect pie. And the fall spiced pumpkin flavors melded with the deep richness of coffee? Oh, my. Just a whisper of the foamed milk or whipped cream floats on top, giving a smidge of freshly grated nutmeg a place to land…

Pumpkin Spice Latte

My baby has developed a new addiction, fueled by his newfound independence and his newly acquired ATM card! He’s been running down to the nearby gas station and buying Pumpkin Spice Latte/Coffee something or others. $1.50 a shot, sometimes twice a day.

Even at just one a day, this young man would be spending $547.50 a year! This from the one that wants a better X-Box and his own TV. I think we just found the money for him.

Ya buy ‘em books, ya buy em books and all they do is eat the pages. Thank goodness we’re not too close to a Starbucks, because they’re a lot pricier there. Buying a single Starbucks version at $4.00 a day would cost you $1,460 a year. Wow…and you didn’t think you had enough money for that little getaway you wanted?

Pumpkin Spice Latte

As for the latte? I did have a taste and I knew I could do better, so with a little tweaking and a little testing (and we had so much fun doing this) we came up with a blend we love. Hope you love it, too, and share it with friends or family on a cold, snowy (or rainy) fall or winter night.

Make a large pitcher, if desired, and store overnight in the fridge – the flavor is even better the next day and the spices drop to the bottom where they are easily left behind. They’ve done their work and are resting. They earned it. Then try it cold (num – I know, hard to believe, but trust me) or reheat in the microwave.

A happy accident: In my effort to be fabulously frugal, we wanted whipped cream and I didn’t want to whip up small bits – I wanted these at a moment’s notice. I placed dollops of whipping cream on a parchment lined tray and froze them, see Whipping Cream for the Freezer.

When dropped into the steaming latte, slowly melting, these were truly heavenly…the cold cream and the hot latte. if you’ve ever lounged in the chilly mountain air on a starry night while sitting in a hot tub? This was like drinking that atmosphere…

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or a teaspoon of brandy, spiced rum, etc.

whipped cream for garnish, if desired – see options and nutritional values, below.

cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg for dusting, optional

Combine milk, coffee, pumpkin, spices and sugar in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla or brandy.

Either top with whipped cream or whisk the latte until foamy – this is best done in a heavy cup, like a Pyrex 2 cup measure. Put the whisk in and holding the handle between palms, move hands back and forth very briskly, twirling the whisk. (Think of a Boy Scout starting a fire with a two sticks.) To get any decent foam at all, whisk wildly and for several minutes.

Garnish simply with a little grate of nutmeg, pinch of pie spice or cinnamon.

Note: excess pumpkin may be portioned in ice-cube trays and frozen.

Let’s talk about how to save money/time on this recipe:

Use a coupon matching site! I check their site every week, even if I don’t “need” to go to the store and often find bargains I can’t pass up.

Follow my 12 Strategies – You’ll see them on the upper drop down menu of every page and how I apply them, below.

Don’t get discouraged if your prices don’t match mine! Keep shopping at the best prices and your fridge/freezer and pantry will be stocked with sales priced ingredients.

Read Strategies Applied for additional tips as well as throughout the recipe, for saving time and managing food.

Put your own Spin on it:

Maybe I’ve had too many Blizzards in my life, but I kept thinking how wonderful this would have been with finely crushed gingersnaps sprinkled over the whipping cream. You could certainly play with the spices and tweak it exactly to your taste.